Best List: FuelBox is the Swiss army knife of iPhone chargers [Review]

The FuelBox PowerStation has built-in cables, a pair of AC outlets and a mobile battery pack. Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

Best List: FuelBox, a home and mobile charging system

There’s a secret magician lurking in our household. We never see them, but they somehow manage to disappear all our charging cables. It drives me batty. The kids, of course, deny any knowledge of the situation. Yet somehow it’s impossible to keep cables around the house. They just keep disappearing.

That’s why I like the FuelBox PowerStation, a charging system that combines a docking station/charging brick with a mobile battery pack. Both the docking station and the battery pack have built-in charging cables — both Lightning and mini-USB. No matter what, the cables can’t disappear.

The FuelBox’s boostPack has built-in Lightning and mini-USB cables.Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

Designed by a pair of Santa Barbara City College students, the $119.99 FuelBox is good for charging devices at home or on the go. The docking station plugs into an AC outlet. It’s a big, bulky brick, but it has a pair of AC outlets itself, allowing other devices to be plugged in.

On the side are two built-in cables: a Lightning cable for charging iOS devices, and a mini-USB cable that’s good for Android phones, cameras, portable speakers and the like. The cables slot into a pair of grooves on the side, keeping them out of the way when not in use. There’s also a spare USB slot for charging a third device.

FuelBox boostPack for charging on the go

When it’s time to leave the house, the boostPack mobile battery pack charges devices when out and about. When not in use, the boostPack sits on top of the docking station, where it charges up. It’s held in place by magnets.

It’s a great idea. The boostPack is always charged-up and ready to go, and there are no messy cables. We have several battery packs around the house but whenever they’re needed, they’re always dead. As long as you remember to keep the boostPack on its charging dock, it’s always good to go.

According to the company, the boostPack provides 25 extra hours of power. It has a 6,700 mAh battery, which is good for almost two full charges of an iPhone X, which has a 2,716 mAh battery. It will even provide a few hours of usage on a MacBook Pro (with an optional $4.99 USB-C adapter).

The FuelBox PowerStation is an all-in-one charging system.Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

The wrap

I’m a fan. Aside from the bulk, the FuelBox is convenient and easy to use. It doesn’t tie up your outlets. It’s neat and tidy. There’s no rat’s nest of cables on the kitchen counter. Cables no longer disappear, and the charging dock makes it easy to keep the battery pack topped up until it’s needed.

If you’re like me, and there’s a cable magician in your house, I recommend the FuelBox.